My inclination is to say that the immediate future is very bleak,but I said that last January,and somehow,the Sox came up with a very solid season,and are not eliminated with 3 games left....still disappointing,no doubt,but a very nice run while it lasted.

Still, I agree that the older guys mentioned are probably gone. Danks has got to come back and be as good as Peavy. If Floyd is gone, they need to replace him with a veteran solid pitcher. The rotation could be ok,still.

My main concern is the lack of high average hitters to replace Youk, and AJ. The outfield is set,but Tank has to hit better. They need a good hitter at 3rd base....find one. And if AJ is gone, we need a bat,as Flowers is just not dependable offensively.

I think a few smart moves can keep this team competitive as they get younger...buying some time for recent draftees to mature. The Tigers will get Martinez back next year,and are going to be very tough for the next few years....Sox need to develop young players in the minors to be ready when the Tigers fade. It is a bitter pill,but it is a plan.

Also, Tank and Beckham are first year arbitration eligible (with Viciedo represented by Boras) considering the raises they'll get vs. performance, it's at least 50-50 one of them may not be back. But that would mean we'd need to add a starter, 3B, C, and 2B/LF, which may be too much to rework in one offseason.